The IT Nerd's Summer Reading List

If you're looking for a good book to take on your summer vacation, we've got 12 recommendations, including technical guides to brush up on your skills and just-for-fun reads.

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Ah, summer. Time for BBQs, pool parties, and family vacations. And the perfect time to pick up a good book. Of course, for IT pros, downtime can be a pretty foreign concept. Still, if you've got that long-awaited vacation coming up and need a good book to read by the pool, we've got 12 recommendations for you.

We polled our team of expert bloggers and editors to find out what's on the top of their reading lists. Naturally, our list is filled with a lot of technical books because what else would an IT nerd take to the beach? We've got recommendations for those inclined to expand their skillsets or brush up on a particular area with books on everything from network architecture to 802.11ac, IPv6, and Python.

But if you want to branch out from the technical stuff, we've also got some lighter fare. Our recommendations include an engaging account of the development of Internet precursor Arpanet, Ray Kurzweil's book on reverse-engineering the human brain, and a post-apocalyptic thriller. So get your beach towel, sunscreen, and grab a book.

Marcia Savage is the managing editor for Network Computing, and has been covering technology for 15 years. She has written and edited for CRN and spent several years covering information security for SC Magazine and TechTarget. Marcia began her journalism career in daily ... View Full Bio

If anyone is looking for help with network troubleshooting, I would recommend Laura Chappell's book on troubleshooting with Wireshark. She is probably the best technical speaker I've ever seen, and she actually makes the topic entertaining.

I hate to admit it, but I spend so much time reading through boring technical documentation that I'm often burned out from reading.

As a result, I recently started relying as much as possible on audio books. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy reading for fun, but for me, audio books are a necessity, not just because of being burned out from reading but also because I spend a fair amount of time in the car.

I used to read many of the type of non-fiction books that are listed here. However, after reading The Passionate Programmer, it gave me the right kick in the head to put things in perspective. Consider the following quotes:

"Many of us are drawn to the IT industry because things are alwayschanging. It's an exciting and fresh work environment. There's alwayssomething new to learn. On the flip side, though, is the dishearteningfact that our hard-earned investments in technology-related knowledgedepreciate faster than a new Chevy. Today's hot new item is tomorrow'sobsolete junk with a limited shelf life."-Page 181

"Unless you're really lucky, you're probably not getting paid to be smart.And you aren't getting paid to be a leading expert in the latest technologies.You work for an institution that is, most likely, trying to makemoney. Your job is to do something that helps the organizationmeet thatgoal. All of this careful thought and preparation has made you ready toshow up at work and start kicking ass for your company."

-Page 95

"One of the many sources of controversy around the Extreme Programmingmovement is its initial assertion that teammembers should workno more than forty hours per week. This kind of talk really upsetsslave-driving managers who want to squeeze as much productivity aspossible from their teams. It even kind of upset programmers themselves.The number of hours worked continuously becomes part of thedeveloper machismo, like how many beers a frat boy can chug at akegger."

-Page 122

The sobering thruth about many of us in the IT field is that much of the extra effort we put forth gaining in depth knowledge on topics such as IPv6 for example, goes beyond the tye of knowledge that most companies are willing to pay for. They may welcome it, but it is often more than they need to reasonably (not speaking perfectly) keep their businesses running.

I think everyone who is serious about their IT career, regardless of whether they are software developers, should read The Passionate Programmer by Chad Fowler. It is packed with candid information that isn't sugar-coated like many career advice articles are.

This is probably one of the rare books that is strictly focused on IT, and that you can read without needing to be in front of a computer. Let's face it, if you're reading a book about programming or networking, it is often useful to get on the computer and try out what is being explained to you in the text.

I'll grab a few of the useful quotes from this book and list them in a separate post.

Respondents are on a roll: 53% brought their private clouds from concept to production in less than one year, and 60% ­extend their clouds across multiple datacenters. But expertise is scarce, with 51% saying acquiring skilled employees is a roadblock.